World Cup 2014: Brazilian Politicians Creating Hurdles for FIFA

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FIFA has faced quite an ordeal since the World Cup 2014 has been a hellish experience thanks to certain Brazilian politicians.

FIFA is up against a few odds this time around. The World Cup 2014 brings in its trail troublesome hurdles. Brazil, which is organizing the event, has many politicos who are dead set against the whole idea. FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke spoke of how things were complex in Brazil.

"In Brazil there are certain politicians who are against the World Cup, and the fact is that we've been through hell, essentially because in Brazil you have three political levels and there has been a change -- there was an election and we're not necessarily talking with the same people (as before) -- it was difficult to keep repeating the same message," Valcke said on Tuesday evening at a forum in Lausanne.

The government was in a time of transition too which only added to the overall confusion. It seems that Brazil is the main decision maker in the enactment of the World Cup 2014 rather than FIFA. The secretary general voiced his concern regarding the matter by postulating that if the World Cup turned out to be a failure than FIFA would be an even bigger failure.

"It's not FIFA that is organising the World Cup in Brazil but Brazil which is organising the World Cup in 12 towns.

The most tragic scene is one regarding the stadiums. They remain in an unfinished condition. FIFA’s December ultimatum has not been heeded by the Brazilian authorities. Instead of December being the month of completion, the date has been extended to May.

"We should have received the stadiums in December, we'll receive them on May 15 (less than a month before the World Cup kicks off)," added the Frenchman, second in command at FIFA behind president Sepp Blatter.

This means that the stadiums will be in tiptop condition merely a week from the commencement of the football matches. However, Frenchman said that despite the delay in details, when the stadiums would be in final order, FIFA would know what to do.

"It's a little bit later than expected but we know how to adapt."

However, the next World Cup which is due in 2018 in Russia should have no such loose ends in its planning, said the secretary general. Such shoddy behavior on the part of the organizers shall not be tolerated in the future.

"If I can pass on just one official message, it is that Russia should not believe that delivering a stadium on May 15 is a point of reference. I hope they will respect the timings," said Valcke.

The establishment of the stadiums on a refurbished basis is necessary for the teams of players, fans, journalists and other top VIPs. It is not just a frivolous undertaking.

"We're supporting Brazil to ensure that it's a success because the whole of FIFA is based around the success of the World Cup. If the World Cup is a failure then we, FIFA, are in trouble," said Valcke.

In 2022, Qatar will be the host of the World Cup. And the matches will occur in winter when they do at such a far off time in the future.